Stamp or ticket vending machine.



- 1". J. SOHUMANN. STAMP OR TICKET VENDING MACHINE.

I APPLICATION FILED MAY? 1910. 1,09, 102., Patented N0v..21. 1911.

2'SHEETSSHEET 1 Witnsses Attorneys 3.3, SGHUMANN. STAMP OR TICKET VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7. 1910.

1,009,102, v Patented 1 10 1.21, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witne lnven or predetermined 40 initial posltion carrylng the web with it, finally coming to rest after withdrawing FRANK J. soHuMAN or BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

STAMP OR TICKET VENDING MACHINE.

I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

Application filed Ma -7, 1910. Serial No. 560,056.

To all whom it may concern:

P ait known that I, FRANK J. S HUMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Stamp or Ticket Vending Machine, of which the followingis a specification.

This'invention has reference to stamp or ticket vending machines and is designed to prov de a machine-wherein after the mechanism shall have been actuated to a predetermined extent the vending of the stamp or ticket becomes entirely automatic and the machine cannot be again actuated until a condition is again establlshed.

The vending machine of the'present inventon 1s des gned to be operated through the lntermedlany of .a suitable coin but the coin mecha nism forms no part of the-present invention which latter relates particu- 'larly. to the vending side of the machine.

In accordance with the present invention the stamps or tickets are lodgedin the machine-1n the-form ofa long web or strip mounted on a suitable drum or other sup-' port and thevending mechanism is so arranged as to deliver a single ticket or stamp so at each operation, severing s'uch ticketor "stamp from the web and holding the severed 7 ticket or stamp in such position as to be web and when the machine is operated this.

1 scription taken in connection with the acreadily accessible to the customer. I

The actuating mechanism for the web has a normal position at the end of its active stroke but is withdrawn with relation to the mechanism is moved to the other limit of its .travel to bethenautomatically moved into engagement with the web' and returned to its om engagement with the web, a portion .of which'latter has in the meantime been projected. from the machine and severed from the body of the web.

The invention willbe best understood from a considerationof the following decompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawingsz- Figure 1 is an elevationof the actuating mechanism of the machine with the casing in vertical section; Fig. 2 is a front e'levation of the machine with parts broken away .toexp os'e the interior mechanism with parts i of the latter shown in section. Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the web feeding lever and parts carried thereby on a larger scale than in Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a bottom plan view of the guide block for the web. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the structure of Fig. 4 with parts in section. Fig. 6 is a bottom. plan view of a guide block carried by the web feeding structure. Fig; 7 is a side elevation of the block shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the web securing blade.

' Referring to the drawings there is shown a-casing 1 of suitable shape and size to inclose the operating'mechanism of the machine, the latter in the articular instance shown in the drawing eing of multiple type wherein more than one vending appa- -ratus is employed, but this does not preclude the use of a single vending apparatus with the casing reduced to agree therewith.

Since the vending mechanisms are alike in the multiple machine the following description will be confined to the vending apparatus of a single compartment of the multiple machine.

Each vending apparatus is provided with a supporting frame made up of side plates 2 and 3 connected together by bolts 4 and these plates are held in spaced relation by spacing sleeves 5 upon the bolts 4 between the inner faces of the plates. The plates 2 and 3 may be of any suitable shape for the purposes of the invention and either made solid or of skeleton type as may be desired.

Projecting upwardly from the top of the plates 2 and 3 are standards 8. The top ends of these 'standards 8 are shaped to re ceive the journals 9 of a drum 10 carrying a web 11 of the tickets or stamps or other like articles to be vended. Mounted on the side plates 2 and 3 near the top ends thereof, between said plates, is a curved strip or elongated block 12hav1ng in its under curved face a series of longitudinally dis- 7 'posed parallel slot-s or grooves 13.- The strip or block 12 is held to the side plates 2 and 3 in spaced relation thereto by screws 14: and spacing sleeves 15.

On each side on the under curved edge of the block 12 there is formed a ledge 16 to which is secured a plate 17 having the inner edge projecting a short distance toward the center line of the block 12 in spaced relation to the curved under face thereof, the ledge 16 serving to space the strip 17 a suitable distance away from the under face of the block 12. At a point about midway of the length of the curved portion of the block 12 on each side thereof is a plate 18 extending downward below the lower surface of the block for an appropriate distance and at the lower edge formed with an inturned ledge or flange 19 projecting toward the center line of the block 12. To the rear of the block 12 is a roller 20 mounted upon a bolt or pin 21 upon which latter the roller may freely turn. The web 11 is carried around the guide roller 20 and from the latter to the under surface of the curved block 12 in the space between the said under surface and the strips 17, to be ultimately directed toward a discharge guide block or chute 22 at the front of the casing, this chute having a passage 23 therethrough widened at the receiving end so that the end of the web will find ready entrance thereinto while this passage 23 is curved downward and is made of lessened size in the direction of the thickness of the web so that at the discharge end, the web or as will hereinafter appear the stamp or ticket is frictionally engaged to a sufficient extent to remain in the discharge chute until withdrawn therefrom by the customer, the frictional engagement being so regulated that the ticket will not fall from the chute by gravity, but may be readily withdrawn by the customer without sensible effort. The block 12 carries near the ends elastic arms 24 with pressure pins 25 at the free ends of these arms tending to hold the web at these points frictionally against movement except under the action of a suificient force. A

Mounted on the rod or bolt 21 on each side of the roller 20 is an elastic or spring yoke 26 carrying at its end a roller 27 adapted to engage the web 11 between the supply drum and the roller 20 and this roller 27 serves as a tenslon roller mamtalning the web taut but yielding to a force tending to ally connected at one end to a lever 30. the

end of the lever remote from the shearblade being the pivoted end, while the ends carrying the knife or shear blade are formed with recesses 31 adapted to receive pivot pins 32 on the knife blade arranged to lock in the recesses when the blade is in operative position but when the blade is turned into substantial alinement with the lever then the pivots may be drawn out through the recesses 31. The lever 30 is composed of two side strips spaced apart and joined by bolts or rivets 33, 34 the rivet 34 being in part or in whole of rectangular cross section for a purpose which will appear hereinafter. The lever 30 is of sutlicient length to extend from substantially the rear edges of cross head 49, is a spring 52.

the plates 2 and 3 to the front edges thereof. The lever 30 is under the normal control of a spring 35 tending to maintain the lever in the elevated position against a stop member 36 and the shear or knife blade 29 is maintained in engagement with the shear plate by a spring 37 carried by the stop terminating in divergent legs 40 joined together by bolts or rivets 41. Atthe outer ends the legs 40 carry a curved plate 42 entering between the guide strips 17 and having the, outer surface substantially co incident with the inner faces of these guide vided with transverse series of perforations 43 for a purpose which will presently appear. The distance between the series'of, perforations at the two ends of the plate 42 is that of the length of the ticket or stamp or other article to be vended.

About midway of the length of the plate 42- and on opposite sides thereof are pairs of guide pins 44 between which are movable strips 17. At the ends the plate 42 is prothe ends of a cross head45 on the end'of a bolt or red 46, the other end of which latter traverses a suitable perforation in a guide strip 47 traversing the lever 39 at the crotch of the legs 40. Movement of the rod 46 in one direction is determined by the engagement of the end of the rod with the plate 42 and the movement-of the rod in the other direction is determined by a cross pin 48 engaging the strip 47. About midway of its length the rod 46 carries another cross head 49 disposed at right angles to the cross. head 45 and extending in the direction ofthe length of the plate 42. At the ends of the cross head 49 there are series of pins 50 adapted to the series ofperforations 43 in the plate 42 andthese pins and perforations also coincide with the longitudinal c grooves or recesses 13 in the guide blocks 12. The rod 46 is maintained in one position by a spring 51 attached to the lever 39 and to the cross head 49 respectively, and surrounding the rod 46 adjacent the Mounted on the lever 39 on one of the, rivets or bolts 41 between two of the legs 40 is .an angle lever 53 having one end straddling the rod 46 in position to engage the spring 52 whilethe other end is beveled as indicatedat so that under circumstances to be presently describedthis end will engage one of the bolts or rivets34 of the lever 30.

The lever 39 has a short arm connected by a link 56. to the lever 30 and this link 56 has an elongated slot 57 where connected ver 39 are determined by stops 59. on the guide block 12, which stops may serve as supports for the spring members 24 before referred to.

Mounted on the pivot bolt or red 38 is a lever 60 having a short arm 61 extending between the side members of the lever 30 and terminating in a cam end 62 in the path of which is normally located the lower end of the rod 46; The lever 60 is maintained in one position bya spring 63 and this position is determined by a stop member 64 in the path of the long arm Of'lllle lever.

Pivoted at one end to the side plate 2 or 3 as the case may be is an arm 65 having near itsfother end a shoulder 66 adapted under certain circumstances to engage the square portion of the rivet or bolt 34 adjacent to it and beyond the shoulder the arm 65 is continued for a short distance as shown in Fig. 1...

Assuming that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 then aproperly applied I force will move the lower end of the lever toward the left as viewed in said figure. This will bring the cam end 62 into engagement with the lower end of the rod 46 and the lever 39 will be thereby impelled about its pivot support 38 in a direction to carry the legs 40 and plates 42 toward the right as viewed in Fig. 1. I In the position of the parts as shown 'in' Fig. 1 it will be noted that the ends of the cross heads 45 are below the lower edge of the flanges or ledges 19.

Therefore when the lever 39 is moved toward the right these ends of the cross head 45 -oient to carry the cutting edge of the knife blade 59 below the point in the shear plate 28 where the .web will traverse the latter. Before the cross head 45 has reached the 1 right hand end of the ledges 19 thebevel end 54 of the lever 53 is brought into engagement with one of the pins 34 connecting the two sides of the lever 30 andbeeause of the bevel ends 54 the lever 53 is turned on its pivot in a direct-ion to cause the other end of the lever to compress the spring 52 to an extent to overcome the spring 51, but the rod 46 is unable to move under the action of the spring 52 because the ends of the cross head 45are still beneath the ledges l9. Ultimately, however the cross head 45 rides beyond the right hand ends of theledges 19 and then the spring 52 becomes active to move the rod 45 longitudinally 1n the direction toward the block 12, this resulting in Causing the. ends of the pins 50, which ends are made sharp, to traverse the perforations 43 in the ends of the plate 42 and also to pass through the portions of the web then overlying the plate-42 and finally enter the slots or grooves 13. The outward movement of the bar 46 under the action of the spring 52 carries the ends of the cross head 45 by the right'hand ends of the ledges 19 to a position above the same when the spring 58 is put under tension by the movement of the lever 39 toward the right, becomes active,

the inner end of the bar 46 having by the outward movement 'of said barvbeen carried beyond the end of the cam 62 on the short arm of the lever 60 so that there is nowno end of the block 12 and a suitable portion of the web is projected beyond the shear plate 28- while an appropriate part of the web is unrolled from the supply on the drum 10. When the lever 30 was moved downward against the action of its spring by the initial or inactive movement of the lever 39 while impelled by the lever. 60-, the shoulder 66 of the lock arm 65 engaging over the squared portion of the rivet or rod 34 inits, path locked the-said lever in the lower position, a spring 68 causing the movement of the shoulder into overlying relation to the said rod 34. The knife 29 was therefore locked in the retracted position. When the lever' 39 reaches the position-at the left hand end of its travel as viewed in Fig. 1 an appropriate one of the pins or rivets 41 is brought into engagement with the extension 67 of the lock arm 65 and the said arm is .moved against the action of its spring 68 to a suflicient extent to unlock the lever 30 which immediately returns to its initial position under the action of the spring 35 until arrested by. the stop 36, the knife 29 in the meantime traversing the web extending through the shear plate 28 an'dsevering the same, the parts being so proportioned that the point of theweb where severed corre sponds to a transverse series of. perforations overriding the ledges 19 during this active movement of the lever now pass from said ledges and the spring 51 and also the action pose and the spring 51 yielding readily to of the cam end 62.

permit the limited longitudinal movement of the rod 46 to allow for the underriding The chute 22' is of such length that on the active movement of the lever 39 a length of the web is moved into the passage 23 and its outer end is projected a short distance beyond the outer end of said.

I passage so that when the terminal end of the web is severed from the main body of the web a small extent of the severed portion projects beyond the outer end of the chute 22.

' Mounted in the casing and journaled in the plates 2 and 3 and in a multiple machine extending through the several vending devices is an operating shaft 69 carrying at an intermediate point spaced arms 70 exshaft 69 and arms 7 0 under the action of a' tending through the casing to the exterior thereof and there carrying a handle 71 accessible to a customer. 7 Between the plates 2 and 3 of-each vending apparatus if there be more than one, theshaft 69 carries a rock arm 72in the path of which is a stop member 73 determining the movement of the spring 74 tending to hold the arms in the uppermost position. 4

Pivoted at one end to the lower end of the lever 60 is an arm 75 having at its other end a block 76 with a side extension 77 provided with a sharpened or narrow edge 78 movable into the path of the side. extension 79 of the block 80-on the free end of the arm 72. The handle member 71 with the arms 70 and rock shaft 69 acting on the rock arm 72 provides a means whereby an operator may cause the actuation of the vending mechanism when the side extension 77 of the block 76 is in the path of the end 7 9 of the block SOon the arm 72, the difference in the movement of the free end of the arm 72 and the free end of the lever 60 when these two members are joined by the pivoted arm 75. The extension 77 is broiia'ht to this position in the path of the end 79 when a lever 83 to which the coupling is connected is tilted by meansof a coin or the like admitted to the machine. Considering the side extension 77 of the block 76 on the arm 75 as in the path of the end 79 of the block 80 on the arm 72, then when the rock shaft 69 is moved by a manipulation of the handle 71 the end 79 of theblock S0 is brought against the side exparticipation of the lever 60 in the movement of the arm 72 and the vending side of the machine. is operated in the manner already described. The difierence in movecom responsive mechanism, such last named mechanism forms nopart ofthe present in-' vention and therefore descri-pti'on'thereof has been omitted.

In order that the number of times the vending mechanism has been actuated may be readily ascertained so as to see whether or not the coins received agree with the actuation of the vending apparatus, there is provided a counter or register 81 of any suitable character connected for operation to the vending side of the machinev by a link 82 to the short arm 55 of the lever 39, or' the counter may be otherwise connected to the vending mechanism for operation thereby.

What is claimed is 1,. In a vending machine, an actuating means accessible to a customer, a movably supported web carrying member, web engaging means .carried bysaid member, a pivoted coupling operable by the actuating means and movable in one direction simultaneously with said member, and means for shifting said coupling into and out of the paths of the actuating means.

2. In a vending machine, a web carrying member, means thereon for engaging a web, a lever for shifting said member in one direction, a coupling member pivotally connected .to the lever, an actuating element, and means for tilting said member into or out of the path of said member.

8. In a vending machine, a web supporting member, means under the control of an operator for shifting said member out of normal position, means for causing the automatic release of the web supporting member from the shifting mechanism at the ter mination of said movement, means for automatically returning the web supporting member to normal position-independently of the shifting means for yieldingly retaining said member in such position, a web engaging meanscarried by said member, means responsive to the movement of the shifting means for subjecting the web engaging means to yielding pressure, and means for causing the release of the web engaging means to the action. of such pressure at the termination of the movement of the shifting means in one direction.

4. In a vending machine for delivering tension 77 and the-pivoted arm 75 causes a stamps or tickets froma web or strip of the 339 same, a guide member for the web, an actuating member for the web comprisinga carrier movable endwise of the guide member, a stamping or perforating member for the web. on said carrier and movable to and from the guide member, and means on the carrier for storing power to impel the imperforating memberxtoward the guide member,-and retaining means on the guide member in the path of the perforating member and of a length less than the extent of travel of the perforating member lengthwise of-the guide membeiu:

5. In a vending machine for delivering stamps or tickets fromaweb or strip of the same, a guide member for the web, and an actuating member for the web comprisinga carrier movable'endwise on the gulde mem:- ber and provided with a web engaging plate having perforations near'the ends,,a perforating member for the web provided with pins movable through the perforations in the plate, said perforating member being movable to and from the guide member, and means on the carrier for storing power to impel the perforating member toward the guide member. a I

6. In a vending machine for delivering stamps or tickets from a web or strip of the same, a guide member for the web, and an actuatingmember for the web comprising a carrier movable lengthwise of the guide member, a guide bar or rod mounted in the carrier and movable toward and from the guide member, a perforating member carried by the rod and movable with the same to and from the guide member, said perforating member and rod having a normal tendency away from the guide member, a normally inactive spring on the rod tending when compressed to force the perforatin member toward the guide member, an

means on the carrier for causing the compression ofthe spring by the movement of the carrier in the direction of the length of the guide member.

,7. In a vending machine for delivering stamps o r tickets from a web or strip of the same, a guide member for the web, and,

an actuating member for the web comprising a carrier movable. lengthwise of the" guide member, a guide bar or rod mounted in the carrier and movable toward and from the guide member, a perforating member carried by the rod and movable with the same to and from the guide member, said perforating member and rod having a normal tendency away from the guide member, a normally inactive spring on the rod tending when compressed to force the perforating member toward the uide member, and means on the carrier or causing the compression of the spring by the movelength of the guide member, "and means ment of the carrier in the direction of the for causing the, release of the perforating member to the action of the spring at the termination of the/movement of the carrier in one direction],

8. In a vending machine'for delivering stamps or tickets from a web or strip of the same, a guide member for the web, an actuating member forthe web comprising a carrier movable lengthwise of the guide member, a perforating member on the carrier and means on the carrier for storing power to impel the perforating member toward the gulde member, means for moving the carrier in the reverse direction to the delivery movement of the web and at the same time to store power tending to return the carrier to initial position, and means for causing the release of the perforating member to the action of the stored power individual thereto and subsequently causing the release of the carrier to the stored power tending to return the carrier to initial position.

9. In a vending machine for delivering stamps or tickets from a web or strip of the same, a guide member for the web, an actuating member for the web comprising a carrier movable lengthwise of the guide member, a bar mounted in the carrier and movable to and from the guide member and having a normal tendency away from said guide member, an operating lever for the carrier having one end in engaging relation to one end of the bar on the carrier when said bar is in its normal position, web engaging means carried by the bar on the carrier, power storing means on the carrier tending to move the bar toward the guide member, power storing means tending to move the carrier toward initial position, and means for causing the release of the web engaging means to the action of the power storing means individual thereto and subsequently the release of the carrier to the action of the power storing means acting directly thereon. a 4

10. In vending machine for delivering stamps or tickets from a web or strip of the same, a guide member for the web, severing means for the web, a locking means for the severing means for holding the latter ininactive posit-ion, an actuating member for the web comprising a carrier movable lengthwise of the guide member, a perforating member for the web on said carrier and movable to and from the guide member, and means on the carrier for storing power to impel the perforating member toward the guidemember, means for actuating the carrier in one direction and at the same time storing power to return the carrier to initial position, and means for causing the release of the web engaging member at the termination of the power storing movement of the carrier and subsequently causing the release of the carrier to the stored power acting thereon to return the carrier to initial position and at the same time move the Web along the guide therefor, said carrier on its return to the initial position causing the unlocking of the severing means to ,active movement.

11. In a vending machine for delivering stamps or tickets from a web or strip of the same, a curved guide member for the web having the web engaging surface provided with a series of longitudinal grooves or recesses, and an actuating member for the web comprising a carrier movable lengthwise of'the guide member, a perforating member for the Web on said carrier having separated series of pins movable to and from the guide member, a perforated plate on the carrier traversed by the pins when moving toward the guide member, the pins and perforations being co-incident with the grooves or recesses in the guide members, means for moving the carrier lengthwise of the guide member, and means on the carrier for storing power to impel the perforating member toward the guide member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK J. SCHUMANN. \Vitnesses:

FRANK B, OGHSENREITER, C. E. PREINKERT. 

